Tuesday, December 16, 2008

I went "Krogering" today and spent some time picking out just the right two gift cards.

I know, "they" say don't give gift cards this year because you're playing financial roulette trying to pick who might go belly up before the cards can be redeemed, but I was trying to save myself some time with my dime PLUS they have a gift card merry-go-round every few feet just begging for your patronage.

One of the cards was rather dicey because it was for a fancy French food joint, but the other was freakin' KROGER. I figure if Kroger goes under so does Walmart and we all know that ain't going to happen any time soon.

However Kroger gets my dumb shit of the year award.

I got to the checkout and while waiting for the final tally I started making out my check as is my custom. It's my custom to have everything in place so the folk(s) behind me don't have to wait any longer than necessary. That's because I'm nice.

The checker, who was not a regualr checker, but rather someone "in charge", says "OH, you can't write a check for the gift cards....you'll have to use a credit card or debit card or cash".... I say "huh?"..... He goes into this long, boring song and dance about how people would get hundreds of dollars worth of gift cards on their credit cards and then cancel them, blah, blah, blah.... they have decided to go back to honoring the credit cards, but no checks. I guess the Gov isn't bailing out the paper hangers.

Anyway I almost let fly, but instead I did my best pre-Xmas passive-aggressive bit about how I didn't see any signs saying such in the store or around the VAST displays of gift cards. He just repeated the purchase options like he was dealing with a ...... well, he probably WAS dealing with a fill-in-the-blanks, but it riled me no end. I've never written a bad check. (Okay, ONCE, back in the 70's, but that was an accident and I took care of it immediately!) I had already written out my check for an amount over so I could have some cash back (another one of my customs!). Since they are so strict about limiting overages to $50, I couldn't even say, okay just forget it. I said OKAY JUST FORGET IT, but had to write out another check to wit everyone in line had to wait.

It's no wonder that business is having a hard time with policies like that. Both the fancy French joint and Kroger lost out....I will go elsewhere and pick up two other cards and go back to being nice once more.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

I've been quiet lately. Licking my political wounds, if it were. Firmly convinced we are going to hell in a hand-basket.

Or maybe not.

I never claim to be a seer.

I do know that the accession to the throne by the one (note no capital letters to signify my utter and total disgust), was not the unification of many young folks eager for a hand in the political process at all. Rather it was New Coke version 2. If you're not remembering New Coke and the way it was thrust upon us let me refresh your memory.....

The makers of Coke wanted to change the formula and get rid of the "real deal" (sugar, Sugar) and replace it with high fructose corn syrup. They did just that with the launch of New Coke. You can read all about it if you follow the link, but the main point I'm trying to make is that New Coke was a smoke screen brilliantly designed to make the CHANGE, sell it to the public by letting the public think it had "won" the fight to restore Old Coke to the sugar regime. When, in fact, due to some powerful shell game slight of hand with a dash of underhand thrown in, New Coke was withdrawn and Classic Coke was hailed The One! (See capitals letter NOW signify extreme sarcasm, my forte!). Classic Coke didn't have the real deal, it had the "new, improved" high fructose corn syrup, that was the goal all along. You make the people think they are getting what they want by using clever catch phrases and massive brain washing. Such as....

If it doesn't fit, you must acquit.

Change you can believe in.

Etc. You do the work.

So now even before the Accession, it appears that the one is like the Wizard of Oz. He's hiding behind a screen, reading from the script that the Clinton's and THEIR handlers have devised. Only time will tell, to be sure, but smarter people than me have figured out that Hill and Company knew they couldn't win so they made a deal to gain that prize no matter what and the one wanted to move on up to that big house on the hill, so naturally he was thrilled to be high fructose corn syrup!

Hang on, it's going to be a bumpy ride! I hope to see you on the other side!

All you really need to know is that it is an equal opportunity disease that will ravage every organ in your body if it's allowed to function out of control.

Mine seems to be in good control thanks to my gastric bypass surgery and subsequent weight loss, but the damage it has done is still with me and I don't consider myself "cured". I'd rather visualize that it is lurking in the background hoping for a rematch.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

It seems rather weird to say "Happy Veteran's Day"....it's more fitting IMHO to say "THANK YOU, VETERANS, you saved our lives"! I mean that too from the bottom of my old wrinkled heart.

Past, present and future veterans, may God bless and keep you always in His hands.

I've got to keep it at that because, again IMHO, freedom took a serious hit November 4, 2008, and only time will tell if your sacrifices have been in vain. Just know in your heart that there are plenty/many who feel as grateful and respectful as I do. All we can do, is the best we can do and let the rest go before it drags us down.

The Houston Chronicle didn't see fit to even mention Veteran's Day on it's online rag. It's a disgrace, but what fool would expect anything less?

Sunday, October 12, 2008

As I rule I don't watch commercials if I can avoid them. The joy of DVR!

But I'm forced fed this commercial because I watch baseball games in real time during the playoffs, etc. and I have to take a deep breath before I continue because I'm probably the only viewer in 'Merica that thinks these commercials suck and I'm going to tell you why....

Ok, first off, I'm from East Texas and that wins me a redneck from the get-go. I have to work at it to some extent because on the one side is the East Texas background and the other side is my belief in the Golden Rule. And my distaste for judging whole groups of anything such as 'all cops are', 'all blacks are', 'all whites are', 'all fat people'...... I know, I do it too, but I really would rather go one-on-one with folks and get to know them as individuals before I go off on them.

Or maybe I don't, maybe I just think I do and I'm really just a racist, but if I am, so are the folks producing this commercial. Clearly they are using the political sign of the times to bring about the change that is so sought.....that change being the black man rising above the white one and paying us back.

IMHO this commercial is reverse discrimination. It's bigoted. Its message is that if you can afford the good seats, you aren't worthy of the brew. The actor Windell Middlebrooks is a very talented black. His job is acting, he doesn't write the commercials and maybe because he's black and very believable it's (ahem) coloring my view, but from where I sit it's not possible for me to watch the thing and not feel uncomfortable wondering if I'm the only one of the globe that thinks this is anti-white-rich-folk?

If you look carefully you'll see token black actors in the back, background of all the commercials, I guess that's supposed to be where my argument falls apart, but that doesn't work for me any more than token black in the background have worked for THEM in the white bread world.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

First off, during the storm, the media drove me to distraction using the phrase "hunkered down". A quick Google search finds this...

hun·ker (hngkr)intr.v. hun·kered, hun·ker·ing, hun·kers1. To squat close to the ground; crouch. Usually used with down: hunkered down to avoid the icy wind.2. To take shelter, settle in, or hide out. Usually used with down: hunkered down in the cabin during the blizzard.3. To hold stubbornly to a position. Usually used with down: "As the White House hunkered down, G.O.P. congressional unity started crumbling" Time.n. hunkersThe haunches.[Perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse hokra, to crouch.]

Or the more modern definition, born during Hurricane Ike 2008: to annoy the living shit out of people by repeating the same term ad nauseam until it lost all meaning and became an overnight cliche. I was just getting used to "shelter in place" and that was what most of us were doing. We didn't panic, we didn't evacuate, we didn't ask the government for help either before, during or after the storm. Which is not to say that those that did ask for help after the storm didn't need the help. I just found out that one of my kids stood in the ice, food and water lines and I'm glad she was able to endure that. They are still enduring since their power is still out one week later....which leads me to.....

My next impression is of the newest post Ike greeting: used to one would say "hi, how's it goin'" or "how ya doin'" when you'd meet and greet.....NOW it's "you got power?"! And if you do they look at you as if to say "bastard!" and some even say it outright! But, so far anyway, no one I know has gotten violent when faced with these hardships. I think we should all pat ourselves and each other on the back for our abilities to survive and go on as best we can.

If we didn't die, we can rebuild, repair, restock, regenerate, renew and rejoice! My neighborhood's look has changed overnight....huge trees are down and gone forever, but no person has lost their life. Many are still without electricity, but they are alive and kicking and surviving. We all found ways to recharge our cell phones! Some found ways to keep computers, televisions, DVD players and radio going in order to simulate some sense of normalcy and order in the dark.

Some of us have been far luckier than others and that brings about the survivor's guilt that often accompanies such a traumatic, dramatic event. I'm not one to grab a Bible and thump on it, but the spiritual side of my soul is giving God my thanks that all I know and all I love is safe and secure. Over and over I think: it could of been so much worse.

Monday, September 15, 2008

It was bad. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and it certainly wasn't as bad as it could of been. The final figures of $destruction$ and loss of human life have not been compilled, but this is, of course, more about ME and MY experiences.

First, I decided to evacuate to my daughter's and that was a good thing as we mostly played cards by candle light and THAT helped to take our minds off what was going on outside. Her house is better insulated than mine I guess because the wind was loud, but it wasn't as loud as I remember Hurricane Alicia being.

My house lost power at midnight Friday, September 12th and it was just restored about an hour ago! That's almost 62 hours (if my math is right...I'm working on a quart low of sleep these days) and since I moved in here in 1976, this is by far the longest power loss EVER. Usually it's a few hours, a day if that when it's a bad storm. The area wide devastation is horrific. Everyone I know lost power...some won't get theirs back for WEEKS. Some still didn't have power from Hurrican Edwardo!

So, the theme of this post is THANK YOU! Thank you Reliant/Centerpoint/Dynowatt or whoever else restored me to my former comfort level! Yea! It's the little things that you appreciate....like opening your closet door and actually being able to see without going for a flashlight! Or the bliss of air conditioning! The good part was it wasn't unbearable even in the 90 plus humidity because I didn't do anything. There was nothing to do except play cards or read or watch my tiny bat operated TVs.

I swear I'd of given the light truck a standing ovation if I'd of seen it. My best friend did see it and she and her neighbor told them THANKS!

More on the storm later, but right now I've got to put away 9000 candles, batteries, radios, TVs, ice chest, etc. .......oh and my .38 that was by my side last night just in case.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Well, let's face it, there's a LOT to hate about all media, but here we sit in the center of "the cone" waiting for Ike to do "his" durndest (is that a word?) and one would think that keeping the TV on as long as possible is a good thing.

BUT nooooooooo. If they aren't scaring people to death, they are showing idiots on the beach and ranting about how they should leave. First off, if they are on the beach, chances are they aren't hearing the warning! If they keep showing these fools on the beach, they are only encouraging OTHER fools to come on down and get on TV!

Sometimes I wish Dan Rather would of had his scrawny ass blown off the beach during Hurricane Carla! His hanging on to poles and screaming into the microphone while water cascaded down his jowls has done nothing but breed a generation of baseball caps wearing clones!

I love Eric Berger, the SciGuy, at the Chronicle! He's OUR Dan Rather without having to get wet! He's far better though because he isn't hysterical....he offers facts and figures and links. He is a bright spot in the otherwise murky flood water of Rather want-a-bees!

Well I'm going to evacuate to my daughter's house. Should take me 2 minutes to drive there....she's only about 4 blocks away!

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Saturday, August 16, 2008

There is a wonderful website chocked full of helpful suggestions about what to do with The Body after death. You have lots of options and there are lots of ways to spend money like drunken sailors on shore leave when it comes to planning the planting!

The man to call to get the skinny on all this is Ken Lambert. Mr. Lambert is not a funeral director. He is simply a very knowledgeable consumer, researcher, coach, and negotiator.

This is what Ken Lambert has to say about his website:

This is an Independent Self-Help & Consumer Coaching Program with more than you ever wanted to know about funerals. It will:

1. Educate You on All Your Funeral Options.

2. Help You Select the Right Funeral Provider for Your Family.

3. Help You Negotiate the Best Prices.

Oh and an aside to MY family: I feel fine! Not to worry! Not planning on going for a long, long time...but if I do go, give this guy a call before you make any "final" decisions. Personally I don't know why Wal-Mart isn't in the biz of body disposal, but maybe by the time I go.... who knows!

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Long time no write! Mostly been busy...got some auctions going on E-bay and trying to keep cool in this Texas blast furnace. Also in an effort to keep from being TOO political I choose to just lie in wait. And there in lies the story...

I figure it's my right to support the candidate that I think best for 'Merica and I make no secret of the fact that there is only ONE viable candidate and that's Senator McCain so I bought a bumper sticker and put it in the back window of my car. It looks a lot like this one....

Well yesterday I came out of Kroger's in broad daylight and put my groceries into the trunk of my car, then I put the cart inside another cart and became aware of some guy hollering. I made eye contact with a man in a nice newer pickup truck as he was driving around me. He was just a ranting about something and I figured it was to another man in yet another pickup truck so I blew it off. Then he drove down the isle in front of my car, circled around and pulled into a parking spot on the isle I'd parked in, got out of his truck and started walking my way. The whole time this was going on he was looking at me whether I was returning the look or not! I decided to wait in the car and keep an eye on him in my rear view mirror, etc. When he got right behind my car he pointed at it and said something again. I didn't hear what he was saying, I just know he wasn't smiling and he was loud.

After he was in the store I backed out and puzzled all the way home what it was that I had done to hack this guy off. But BEFORE I drove off I wrote down his license number and I could reproduce it here, but that's not why I wrote it down. I looked him up and I know his name and where he lives. I thought he was making note or perhaps pointing to MY license plate as if to say he knew how to find me.

The more I pondered on his dementia the more I was convinced he was upset with my McCain sticker! I *think* I heard "Obama" at least once when he was driving around. All I can say is "FIGURES"! Only a bona fide nut case would support a candidate with no experience and nothing going for himself but Oprah's endorsement.

I will admit that it made me very uncomfortable to be singled out by a nut. This was a white male, probably in his middle 40's, driving a nice truck. He looked like Mr. Average American. He acted like he needed some adjustments to his meds!

When I wrote down his license number I didn't notice if he had any stickers or not...I was in a hurry to jot it down and get the hell out of Dodge! But even if he'd of had Obama stickers plastered all over the thing *I* would of never told him off for his political leanings! That's because I'm only a nut case in limited family related incidences, I reckon....

Vote, I don't care who you vote for, but VOTE! If you are voting for The Other, keep it to yourself, I got enough to worry about!

Saturday, July 05, 2008

I make no secret of the fact that I'm a big fan of the Harris County Sheriff's Department. I'll vote for Sheriff Thomas for reelection so long as he chooses to run because I know the good that he has accomplished for the department and all the citizens of my county.

I was making a comment on something at the Houston Chronicle online and had to go to the Sheriff's website to check my facts..... wow! what happened over there!? The website has a whole 'nother look from it did the last time I visited it. Bravo! You've got to check it out for yourself.

They have an honest-to-God real Most Wanted page now with pictures of some of the folks they are looking to house and feed.

And check this guy out.....

If you think he looks like one of the Most Wanted you might be right. He's MY Most Wanted to be reelected to the office of Harris County Sheriff! That's a younger, leaner, meaner Tommy back in the day when he was a narc! Iloveit!

There are tons of videos to enjoy and information about every facet. Check it out! And then don't forget to vote FOR Tommy Thomas on November 8th election. Vote often, vote early, vote RIGHT!

Friday, July 04, 2008

I found this by accident, but maybe it wasn't an accident, maybe it was a SUPPOSED-to-find so I could share.

The Elephant in the Room: Obama: A harsh ideologue hidden by a feel-good image

By Rick SantorumAmerican voters will choose between two candidates this election year.

One inspires hope for a brighter, better tomorrow. His rhetoric makes us feel we are, indeed, one nation indivisible - indivisible by ideology or religion, indivisible by race or creed. It is rhetoric of hope and change and possibility. It's inspiring. This candidate can make you just plain feel good to be American.

The other candidate, by contrast, is one of the Senate's fiercest partisans. This senator reflexively sides with the party's extreme wing. There's no record of working with the other side of the aisle. None. It's basically been my way or the highway, combined with a sanctimoniousness that breeds contempt among those on the other side of any issue.

Which of these two candidates should be our next president? The choice is clear, right?

Wrong, because they're both the same man - Barack Obama.

Granted, the first-term Illinois senator's lofty rhetoric of bipartisanship, unity, hope and change makes everyone feel good. But it's becoming increasingly clear that his grand campaign rhetoric does not match his partisan, ideological record. The nonpartisan National Journal, for example, recently rated Obama the Senate's most liberal member. That's besting some tough competition from orthodox liberals such as Ted Kennedy and Barbara Boxer.

John McCain's campaign and conservative pundits have listed the numerous times in Obama's short Senate career where he sided with the extremes in his party against broadly supported compromises on issues such as immigration, ethics reform, terrorist surveillance and war funding. Fighting on the fringe with a handful of liberals is one thing, but consider his position on an issue that passed both houses of Congress unanimously in 2002.

That bill was the Born Alive Infants Protection Act. During the partial-birth abortion debate, Congress heard testimony about babies that had survived attempted late-term abortions. Nurses testified that these preterm living, breathing babies were being thrown into medical waste bins to die or being "terminated" outside the womb. With the baby now completely separated from the mother, it was impossible to argue that the health or life of the mother was in jeopardy by giving her baby appropriate medical treatment.

The act simply prohibited the killing of a baby born alive. To address the concerns of pro-choice lawmakers, the bill included language that said nothing "shall be construed to affirm, deny, expand or contract any legal status or legal right" of the baby. In other words, the bill wasn't intruding on Roe v. Wade.

Who would oppose a bill that said you couldn't kill a baby who was born? Not Kennedy, Boxer or Hillary Rodham Clinton. Not even the hard-core National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL). Obama, however, is another story. The year after the Born Alive Infants Protection Act became federal law in 2002, identical language was considered in a committee of the Illinois Senate. It was defeated with the committee's chairman, Obama, leading the opposition.

Let's be clear about what Obama did, once in 2003 and twice before that. He effectively voted for infanticide. He voted to allow doctors to deny medically appropriate treatment or, worse yet, actively kill a completely delivered living baby. Infanticide - I wonder if he'll add this to the list of changes in his next victory speech and if the crowd will roar: "Yes, we can."

How could someone possibly justify such a vote? In March 2001, Obama was the sole speaker in opposition to the bill on the floor of the Illinois Senate. He said: "We're saying they are persons entitled to the kinds of protections provided to a child, a 9-month child delivered to term. I mean, it would essentially bar abortions, because the equal-protection clause does not allow somebody to kill a child." So according to Obama, "they," babies who survive abortions or any other preterm newborns, should be permitted to be killed because giving legal protection to preterm newborns would have the effect of banning all abortions.

Justifying the killing of newborn babies is deeply troubling, but just as striking is his rigid adherence to doctrinaire liberalism. Apparently, the "audacity of hope" is limited only to those babies born at full term and beyond. Worse, given his support for late-term partial-birth abortions that supporters argued were necessary to end the life of genetically imperfect children, it may be more accurate to say the audacity of hope applies only to those babies born healthy at full term.

Jim is dying. Jim and Mercer are taking it well. They are all accepting and grownup and facing the elephant in the room head-on. Hell they aren’t just facing it, they’ve invited it in for dinner and drinks! They are fine. That’s what they say if you ask them how they are. Fine. Accepting. Realists.

Well I’m not fine.

I’m sad. And mad. And upset. I’m not liking that goddamn elephant one bit. I don’t like its shifty little eyes or its big old butt or the fact that it’s gray. I don’t like not being able to push it outside where it belongs. Who the hell wants an elephant in the living room or ANY room in the house? Elephants belong in the wild, or a zoo or the circus or the elephant store. NOT in the house. Scat, damn pachyderm!

I’ve never liked it and I can’t imagine a time that I ever will.

Soon Mercer will be a widow just like me except for the penis thing.

And except that he has a chance to pamper and be kind to and make love with Jim before it’s too late. He won’t have anything to feel guilty about AFTER.

So I guess he won’t be like me after all because I didn’t see that my split apart was dying.

I should have seen it. He told me often enough by his actions and innuendoes.

I don’t know why I didn’t see it. Did I not want to see death coming in the door? Did I think that everything would be as we planned forever? Did I do the final disservice by not recognizing that death is the great divider?

Shame on me for making this about me.

But how can we not acknowledge the elephant without it opening the wounds of sorrow for other times when the huge creature invaded our world? If elephants never forget then is it so farfetched to think that humans might also remember? And to remember is to open the wound again and again. It never heals. There is no closure when you love someone and then lose them.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Holster that is...... check this out, sign it, live it, love it! A petition for the real world!

To: Texas State Legislature and Texas Governor Rick Perry

We hold that all citizens who may lawfully purchase a handgun be allowed to carry openly in public in the State of Texas except for those places prohibited by law. We also call for state preemption of all handgun laws concerning open carry in Texas.

1. Every individual has the right and responsibility to defend their self against unjustified threats of death or serious bodily injury.

2. The Constitution of the United States guarantees the right of individuals to keep and bear arms.

3. Criminals are not deterred by rules, regulations, and laws forbidding the possession of weapons. A man bent on mass murder will not be stopped by a rule forbidding him to have a gun.

4. It is well known that the requirement to conceal a handgun for the purpose of protecting self, friends, and family can be difficult especially in Texas with our extreme heat since a person will usually have to wear a jacket to properly conceal a handgun and to avoid "printing."

5. The requirement to conceal a handgun can make it difficult to draw the weapon should the life of the carrier or the life of someone else be in danger.

6. A criminal will not open carry a weapon because he does not want to draw attention to himself. We believe that a citizen openly carrying a handgun lawfully will be a deterrent for crime.

7. Ten states including Arizona, Alaska, Idaho, Kentucky, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota, Virginia, Vermont, and Wyoming all allow open carry of handguns without a license. Twelve states including Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Utah, and Tennessee allow open carry of handguns with a license. In fact, Texas is one of only SIX states in the entire United States that completely bans open carry of handguns.

8. In these states, Open carry is very common and it does not alarm law enforcement or other citizens.

For the foregoing reasons, we residents of the State of Texas affirm and assert that all citizens who may lawfully purchase a handgun be allowed to carry openly in public in the State of Texas except for those places prohibited by law. We also call for state preemption of all handgun laws concerning open carry in Texas.

---------- Now I'm not saying that *I* would openly carry as I'd be worried if they saw it they could take it from me easier, but we by-God ought to have to right to decide for our ownselves if we want it displayed or not.

Now I know it's called the Texas CONCEALED Handgun license, but one could easily drop the "concealed" part and just say you've earned the right to have a handgun license because you are not a criminal. Then if you got it you could flaunt it!

Thursday, June 12, 2008

HARTFORD, Conn. -- In a frightening event caught on video, an elderlyConnecticut man was struck by a car and was left lying in the street.What's worse is that vehicles continued to drive past the man, withno one stopping to help.

Surveillance video shows 78-year-old Angel Torres being struck by acar in Hartford. The video shows that no one walking by on thesidewalk, or driving past on the street, tried to help the victim.However, Hartford Police Chief Daryl Roberts appeared at a newsconference on Thursday in which they said four people dialed 911within a minute of the accident.

Police arrived to the scene shortly after the hit-and-run whileresponding to an unrelated call. The man was taken to HartfordHospital for treatment.

The video has been enhanced by the Connecticut State Police ForensicScience Laboratory. An older model tan Toyota may have been chased bya blue or black older model Honda. Police say the cars ran a redlight and crossed a center line before hitting the man.

Police are asking for the public's help in solving the crime.Torres remains in critical condition and is paralyzed from the neckdown.

The chilling scene - captured on video by a streetlight surveillancecamera - has touched off a round of soul-searching in Hartford, withthe capital city's biggest newspaper blaring "SO INHUMANE" on thefront page and the police chief lamenting: "We no longer have a moralcompass."

Pedestrians gawk but appear to do nothing. One driver stops brieflybut then pulls back into traffic. A man on a scooter slowly circlesthe victim before zipping away.

The hit-and-run took place in daylight last Friday at about 5:45 p.m.in a working-class neighborhood close to downtown in this city of125,000.

In the video, Torres, a retired fork-lift operator, walks in the two-way street just blocks from the state Capitol after buying milk at agrocery. A tan Toyota and a dark Honda that is apparently chasing itveer across the center line, and Torres is struck by the Honda. Bothcars then dart down a side street.

Nine cars pass Torres as a few people stare from the sidewalk. Someapproach Torres, but most stay put until a police cruiser respondingto an unrelated call arrives on the scene after about a minute and ahalf.

"Like a dog they left him there," said a disgusted Jose Cordero, 37,who was with friends Thursday not far from where Torres was struck.Robert Luna, who works at a store nearby, said: "Nobody did nothing."One witness, Bryant Hayre, told the Courant he didn't feelcomfortable helping Torres, who he said was bleeding and conscious.The accident - and bystanders' apparent callousness - dominatedmorning radio talk shows.

"It was one of the most despicable things I've seen by one humanbeing to another," the Rev. Henry Brown, a community activist, saidin an interview. "I don't understand the mind-set anymore. It's kindof mind-boggling. We're supposed to help each other. You see somebodyfall, you want to offer a helping hand."

The victim's son, Angel Arce, begged the public for help in findingthe driver. "My father is fighting for his life," he said.The hit-and-run is the second violent crime to shock Hartford thisweek. On Monday, former Deputy Mayor Nicholas Carbone, 71, was beatenand robbed while walking to breakfast. He remains hospitalized andfaces brain surgery.

"There was a time they would have helped that man across the street.Now they mug and assault him," police chief said. "Anything goes."

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

...and a Democrat in the White House will only compound the situation. I could of sworn we were supposed to have a system of checks and balances.

I've been going around saying pretty much that and what this guy says on his blog BitsBlog..... he is spot on!

Who is to blame? Here you are... When Democrats took over the Congress, gas was slightly more than $2 per gallon, food costs were low and supplies were plentiful, the housing market was booming. Since then, our food and fuel are both double the price and in shortages, taxes are up, housing is tight, as is credit. -Bithead

Those drinking the Democratic KoolAid are so in love with the word "change" that they are really going to be disgruntled when they figured out that there will NEVER be change so long as the political train keeps rolling through Washington. The name of the game is blame....pin it on the other party and hope the people don't figure out that it's all crap.

Saturday, June 07, 2008

While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75 year old Texas rancher, whose hand was caught in a gate while working cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic got around to Obama and his bid to be our President.

The old rancher said, 'Well, ya know, Obama is a 'post turtle'.'

Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a 'post turtle' was. The old rancher said, 'When you're driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's a 'post turtle'.'

The old rancher saw a puzzled look on the doctor's face, so he continued to explain. 'You know he didn't get up there by himself, he doesn't belong up there, he doesn't know what to do while he is up there, and you just wonder what kind of a dumb ass put him up there to begin with.'

Sunday, June 01, 2008

I hate messing with RAW files, but I can see the benefits of shooting in RAW and so I went outside today and took some RAW pictures. When I got ready to convert them however the Olympus Master 2 software that came with my e500 camera is a can 'o crap.

I tried using Photoshop 7, but it won't work with .ORF files *OR* I don't know how to convert them with it. Same thing IMHO. I wasn't wanting to spend all afternoon putzing around trying to figure it out.

So after diligently searching for awhile I can up with a winner! It's called FastStone Image Viewer 3.5 and it is more than just an image viewer. It worked quickly and well to convert the RAW Olympus .ORF files into .jpg ones or pretty much whatever kind of file you need.

It's also absolutely FREE and contains no adware or spyware or underware! However I did send the asked for donation because I thought that highly of it and I'm blogging about it because I like to say so when I like something that works as advertised!

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

I don't know what I'm whining about. Some people don't even have medical insurance. Some people don't even have Medicare. Some people don't even have supplemental Medicare coverage through the employer that their dead husband gave his life for.

BUT it's MY blog and I can whine if I want to.

I've been going to a dermatologist at Kelsey-Seybold for years and years. I recently went to a Family doctor and thought I'd be using him for years and years. I'm waiting for my appointment next week with a OB/GYN also with Kelsey-Seybold.

Yesterday I get a call from some clown representing Kelsey-Seybold and he tells me that he's just following up on the letter(s) I've gotten telling me that KS will soon no longer accept "regular Medicare"...they'll only accept the Kelsey-Seybold version.

I figured him for a salesman or a con.

For Christ's sake he was calling me on his cell phone and we lost connection!

Today I did some checking and sure as shootin', KS will no longer take "regular Medicare" after 1/1/09. I either have to join one of THEIR plans or take my poor old bones elsewhere knowing full well that it's not easy finding ANY doctor that will accept "regular Medicare".

WTF?

I CAN join KelseyCare Advantage Standard Option and STILL retain my retiree/widow supplement, but if I choose to go that route I can't go to my beloved cardiologist any longer. ONLY KS's docs are included in The Plan and they are all subject to change at any given moment. (To wit: KelseyCare Advantage has formed a network of doctors, specialists and hospitals. You can only use doctors who are part of our network. The health providers in our network can change at any time.)

It's a monopoly. Or a conspiracy. Or a private company in it for the dough and perfectly capable of calling all the shots and you can either like it or lump it. Don't let the double sliding glass doors hit you in the rump on the way out, sucker.

I don't recall if I've mention that you get more mail as you approach your Golden Years than ever before in your life. Everyone wants a piece of your Medicare pie. Everybody and his brother want to sell you their plan. After awhile you just toss them all away in disgust. Obviously ONE of those I tossed unopened was the one from KS telling me I was fixin' to be screwed and to just lean back and enjoy it. No cig after though because that's bad for your health.

I'm keeping that appointment next week and the one scheduled for August 20th with the dermatologist (it takes THAT long to see her) and come 12/31/08 I'm bidding them all adieu at Kelsey-Seybold. Next time I need medical assistance other than from Dr. DeBauche I'll just book a flight to Lourdes.

My brand new, crisp clean Medicare card says my Part A and Part B became effective on March 1, 2008.

I thought....figures...it's the government and they got it rong!

Well after 2 months of being jacked around I finally found out today that when one turns 65 on the 1st of the month it becomes effective the month before.

Huuh, sure, that makes perfect sense.

So easy-squeezey, my doctor has to file a claim with Medicare. No problemo. Except for the other doctor who doesn't accept Medicare. She's yet to even bill me or file with my insurance company, but she will. And then I'll have to pay each and every red cent!

I thought I was doing good to book an appointment with her the day before I turned 65 so my insurance would still be in effect. They even asked me when I made the appointment if I wanted to go ahead and find a doctor that would take Medicare, but I said NO.

It's not a big deal until you step back and look at the big picture.

I'm 45 days in my 65th year and they are killing me!

Bureaucratic fine print.

It's too soon to tell and I'm NOT giving in without a serious fight, but I'm beginning to wonder if this sort of thing isn't why people die. They just get tired of fighting the bullshit.

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

I'm excited about tomorrow because I don't have to do anything! I don't have to go anywhere! I was going to the Astros game, but one of Larry's customers wanted tickets so he gave them away. We're going Thursday and that'll be fun. It's Mother's Day early and they are giving away tote bags to "women 16 and above". Is it just me or does 16 seems awfully young to be a "woman"?

I got to see them play that long ass game Sunday when they pulled it out and went on to beat the Brewers. That was a great game! I've been lucky to see some great games the last few years in person and over the years on TV.

This year is coming along nicely because the bats are alive and well and doing their thing. I love a good pitcher's duel, but nothing spells fun like a high scoring game that ends up with a big fat "W" for the home team.

Today I got my "Welcome to Medicare" physical. I celebrated that by going out for breakfast to The Egg And I. The food was good and tasted even better because I went in after having to fast for 10 hours for the blood work the doctor ordered. I was breaking in a new doctor too. He's a Family Practice doc that works for Kelsey-Seybold. As a rule I hate Kelsey-Seybold, but I felt like I needed a GP for this whole Medicare gig. I played the old card at the Egg place and scored the senior citizen discount! Hot damn, this old thing might be a winner after all! I can just see me going around town holding out my hand for the coot rebates!

I sat around picking fleas off the devil dog this evening. I got 3 of them before she got bored. I have a system. I catch them between my right thumb and forefinger and open those fingers inside of some soapy water that I put in a glass. They sink like stones and drown their little bastard selves. I'll probably end up giving her a bath tomorrow to try and drown the rest of them in one fell swoop. (I had to look up "fell swoop"! I thought it was "feld swoop", but found out that was just my East Texas accent messin' with me again!)

I've worked in the yard a lot more than usual, but that's one of the perks of losing the weight....I WANT to do more and I CAN! I bought some foam "barrels" from Kroger (not cheap!) to put lots of Amaryllis bulbs in. I had lots and lots of bulbs in several pots. Make that too many pots and thought it'd be neat to have a big pot with lots of them instead. I need a couple more foam barrels to put ALL of them together, but for now I'm content with just the two. Only time will tell if I like that foam aspect. They might dry out too much.

I've got a fair amount of comments on the YouTube video. 99.9% are favorable. My oldest bro said it was "vulgar". I took THAT as a compliment considering the source. Most of my relatives are not saying anything! They probably are not that crazy about it but more considerate than the bro. I can't fault him though because I did ask folks to tell me what they thought. My kids were cool and *I* liked it so there. The more I see it the more I'm amazed at what a good job Travis did putting it together. Some of my "scenes" make me cringe, but the dream like quality of the playground stuff is very good. Naturally the times I'm just having fun and cracking up come across as more real than the walking around with my nose in the air stuff, but that's to be expected I suppose.

Two of my friends have said they were "speechless". That's pretty cool because usually they are regular Chatty Cathys! Many just don't say anything. I'm guessing they are speechless too.... haha....

Found out today that I do still have diabetes according to the doctor, but it's well controlled. I figured as much because how could it just go away after being in my life for 15 years? My first born went to the diabetes doctor and she told her that she's seeing people having to get back on the meds and shots after awhile because they think they are cured and start eating like sugar and carbs are no problem. There is just so much insulin being produced and when that's not good enough to do the job it's back on the needle or the pills.

I'm glad I heard about that hopefully before I'm out of control. I've been eating candy and ice cream, etc. and need to step back and evaluate just what I think I hope to accomplish eating junk. I sure don't want to give it all up now! Changing your life long habits and patterns is like a giant game of Mother-May-I.... you take two little steps forward and one giant step backwards if you forgot to say the magic words or, in the this case, eat the magic foods and lay off the bad stuff.

The best thing about life is that until it's over you can make changes and reevaluate your choices. That's pretty empowering stuff! I like the way that works! Thanks, God, that was a good idea You had there!

Friday, April 25, 2008

One of the hottest, young studlies on the planet asked *ME* if I'd make a music video with him. Once I quit laughing, I said SURE.

I'll admit to some trepidation, thinking he most likely would make me look really, really bad so he'd look really, really good.... but guess what? He looks really, really good and I don't look THAT bad. In fact I think it came out very nicely done. He did a great job of editing because Lord knows I kept cracking up on pretty much every scene.

He's a genius....which would be the whole beauty AND brains thing! I just hope when he's made it BIG he remembers the little people! Go get 'em Travis!

I can't thank Travis AKA TdashDub enough for absolutely making my day if not my entire YEAR!

Thursday, April 24, 2008

I don't recall a Presidential election that I viewed with more distaste than the upcoming one.

I don't like ANY of them.

I've tried and tried to understand President Bush's motivation and he's driving me crazy too. He is NOT the same man I voted for twice. But he's a lame duck and I don't have the energy to condemn him for I imagine the job of the Prez of the USA is not one that is easy to understand. That said, I got the following in an email. I didn't check the accuracy, it doesn't matter to me if it's all true or partly true...it does say what I think and says it better than I ever could.

So, like Toby Keith says...."You may not like where I'm goin'But you sure know where I standHate me if you want toLove me if you can"....

After long and serious thought, I have decided to endorse Senator John McCain for President. I have always voted for the person and have not voted for anyone because some political party was telling me whom I should vote for.

We all know the choices by now and, that said, I do believe that the process of selecting a chief executive is deeply flawed. The words "money" and "special interests" come to mind, among many others.

Here's the way I see it:

Barack Obama, you are a fine public speaker. You are also an extremely liberal Senator from the State of Illinois, which has a long and rich history of political corruption of the first magnitude. You are indeed a child of that system.

You have finally insulted my intelligence far beyond my capacity to tolerate your insults. It has nothing at all to do with your skin color. As a matter of fact, it would be so COOL to finally have an African-American for President. What a great statement that would be to the entire world that we are indeed the greatest country on earth!

But, unfortunately, General Colin Powell is not running, and YOU are NOT the man for this job !

Barack baby, you want me to believe that you have never heard the sermons of your own pastor, the Right Reverend "God Damn America" Jeremiah Wright. It is a matter of record that this has been your church for over 20 years. It is a matter of record that you were married there by this very pastor, and that your children were baptized there.

The good Reverend saw fit to visit Khadafy in Libya with you and to give a lifetime achievement award to Louis Farrakhan, of all people.

We have all now seen excerpts of his sermons all over the airwaves by now. And you have publicly stated that this man IS your "spiritual mentor".

BUT, your pastor is NOT the reason I am NOT voting for you. His words were disturbing enough, but it is your own HUGE church congregation, seen jumping, hooting and howling to his words in the background that disturb me the most. And please don't tell me you attended church there and never once heard a "discouraging word" in the 20 years you attended there. Don't tell me, that in addition to the good reverend, that you are now not having anything to do with all those other people seen hooting and howling out in the audience in the background of his fiery tirades.

Even Oprah Winfrey got disgusted and walked out. I am no Oprah fan, but still she did the right thing.

Now YOU look me in the eye and ask me to believe that you never heard such language in all the years you attended there ! This is like my telling you that I attended dozens of Klan rallies and never once heard the "N" word. Yep. And Bill Clinton "did not inhale".

Yes, Mr. Obama, we all have friends who have said stupid things that embarrassed us, but NOW you have asked me to believe something that is so incredibly stupid that you are telling me that I am just stupid enough to believe you. THAT is the main reason that I will never vote for you. I am deeply sorry, that in a county teeming with enormously talented African Americans who would make a good President, that the political system has chosen YOU. You are a pathetic and plastic excuse for an American, who will not even salute the Flag during the Pledge of Allegiance. God forbid you ever get near the Oval Office.

Now, did I mention Bill Clinton ?

AH YES ! This brings us to MRS. WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON, who this candidate really is, in spite of all the other names she may care to call herself. This "feminist" piece of work of course would like to be referred to as MS. and we all know who wears the pant suit in that family.

MS. Clinton, (sugar), it is just as depressing to realize that there are dozens of women who would also make great Presidents. But, fortunately, the horrible state of the selection process has selected YOU. Ms. Clinton, I'm sorry, but you could not tell the truth if we waterboarded your worthless ass ! Nor if the two of you both fell and the truth stuck in the EYE, you still can't see the truth and be honest. When honesty was given out, neither one of you have an ounce of it in your entire body.

Still you play the role of the "embarrassed but dignified noble wife". What utter malarkey! I am not voting for you for a world of reasons, but the main one is the same as my not voting for Senator Obama. You persistently insult my intelligence. It COULD be conceivably possible that you did not know about Monica Lewinsky, extremely remote, but possible if we stretch our imaginations a bit. But you turn around and then ask me to believe that you also did not know about Paula Jones and the legion of other women who were chewed up and spit out by your lecherous excuse for a husband. Puleeese, turn off this broken record!!!

But let's set aside your hubby's flagrant peccadilloes. The real reason I will never vote for you is that I don't think the country can survive EIGHT MORE YEARS of Whitewater, Travelgate, Filegate, Sandy Berger stuffing his socks with classified intelligence, Janet Reno's goon squad, as well as the Vince Foster affair, let us not forget the Tyson chicken pay off and the myriad of other corruptions that seem to stick to you like. So our former President can't keep his pants zipped. The REAL issue is that he committed perjury under oath when he lied about it and the pathetically-attempted cover-up that followed.

Like you, he is totally incapable of telling the truth. He could not do it if you tortured him, and in voting for you, we would get the BOTH of you, all over again. The same folks who could have taken out Osama Bin Laden over 3,000 dead Americans ago !

And please, stop telling me that you have "eight years of experience" to lead us. You were the freakin' first lady already, not the Commander in Chief. Jeez! The sum of your "experience" is that of the most worrisome and incompetent meddling in the history of the White House. You even cursed your pitiful staff and the Secret Service agents who were and still are unfortunately charged with risking their lives to protect your worthless, thieving hide, and all at the expense of other people who have to work for a living.

Your single pathetic platform is to finance the illegal drugs, alcoholism and bad habits of the very lowest and most irresponsible freeloaders in America and to then "garnish the wages" (your own words) of every law-abiding and hard-working American to pay for it. This disaster you refer to as "Universal Health Care". Where have you been the last 30 years ? Did you not see that socialism is a failure wherever it has been tried ? Did you not notice that the Soviet Union has collapsed since it gave no reward to those who worked the hardest for the fruits of their own labors to pay for those who will not ??

It is interesting to see all the dead bodies that you and your hubby have left in your wake. Suicides, mysterious deaths, cover-ups that make Richard Nixon look like a rank amateur. The utter contempt and unbelievable arrogance of some of your strongest supporters, most notably the recently resigned and disgraced Governor Eliot Spitzer, the epitome of hypocritical and malevolent arrogance gone wild, one of your most ardent, wealthy and powerful political supporters. A man the news media refuses to admit IS a "super delegate" in your own political machine, a fine example of your own "adopted" state of New York. No wonder you moved there to run for Senator ! The environment there is perfect for the likes of you !

Yes, I would vote for a woman, but I will NOT vote for YOU !

Which leaves us with Senator John McCain?

John, you are a flawed man. You are a bit old, a bit Looney, and you have a notoriously bad temper. This perfectly qualifies you, in my humble opinion, to lead us for the next eight years. I WANT your trembling hand on the nuclear button.

Think about it.

We have Kim Jong IL, Chavez and Ahmadenijad all running around like lunatics, threatening America and threatening to plunge the world into nuclear Armageddon We have Putin and the Chinese blustering and rattling their sabers at us. I want John McCain in the Oval Office and I want him to be really pissed off at all these other nut jobs around the planet.

John, once you are elected, I want you to go into the Oval Office and throw one of your perfect FITS. Jump up and down and throw something through a plate glass window. Rip the drapes down and foam at the mouth a bit. And I want the whole thing on camera so that Ahmadinejad can see it. I want ALL of these "world leaders" to lay awake at night and to break out in a cold sweat every time they think of messing with the United States of America.

I want the nuclear button sitting right next to the alarm clock on your night stand. I want pictures of this to be sent to Iran, Russia, China, Venezuela, Cuba, Libya, Syria, Pakistan, and those other assholes in the sheets, the Saudis.

On the domestic front, poor John did try and reach across the aisle to the opposition in a desperate effort to compromise and to get the Congress to do something. You may not agree with his efforts, but at least he TRIED. For all his efforts, all he got handed to him was his head in a basket. The liberals are pissed at him and the conservatives are pissed at him. Just my kinda guy.

I predict that John will select Senator Joe Lieberman as his running mate. Good choice. I want a JEW whose memory of the Holocaust is still fresh in his mind and who is royally pissed off at all of these towel-headed morons in the Middle East to be the next in line if something should happen to John. Shalom, Vice President Joe One heartbeat from the Oval Office.

Finally. John McCain knows on a most personal level what it is to suffer horrible torture for years and to see others die, right in front of you, for their love of America. When you ask him about it, he will tell you that what he did was "nothing special". Even more incredibly, he states that ANY American who truly loves his country would do exactly the same as he did in that situation. You and I will have a hard time believing that, but the real point is that John McCain believes that about the "average American", and that, dear friends and neighbors, is why I will cast my one poor ballot for on Election Day for John McCain -- warts and all.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

According to an article in this day's Houston Comical, someone did a study of old farts and determined that on whole we are a giddy lot. Happy as clams and just as hard to open!

The Baby Boomers are not quite as happy and the youngsters are not happy at all.

I think that's why the two major Dem candidates are doing so well with the kiddies. Kids don't have enough life experience to realize that words like "change" and "new" are crap. The Prez is just one spoke in the wheel and so long as the entire Washington bus keeps moving down the roadway we are screwed.

Government, big or otherwise, has never done anything for me, or mine, or anyone I know. That's fine with me too, because government isn't supposed to "do" things for people. Ask Not. That's what the first and last Democrat President that I had any respect for said and look what happened to him!

Back then I too was young and filled with hope and high expectations. Camelot! The whole point of view of the young is for hope and change....it takes years and years of reality to hone those whippersnappers into happy-to-be-in-a-rut grownups. They believe because they don't know any better. They are suckered in by the sales talk of those that would like to be the rulers. The hard sell is tell 'em what they want to hear. (It's much easier being on The Other Side, we don't have a choice. It's McCain or stay home and watch the TCM channel).

The study thinks they found that old people are "happier" because they've learned to expect less. *I* think they are "happier" because they've managed to live without government B.S. killing them! Survival of the fittest, baby.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: happy, after a certain age, is waking up seeing anything other than the white satin lining of the planter box above you!

Thursday, April 17, 2008

My car is 11 years old and in very good condition, but it IS eleven years old. So I convinced myself that it was time to get something newer.

I thought I wanted an SUV. Not because I needed either the 'sports' or the 'utility' part, but just the 'vehicle' and thought it'd be nice to have a place in the back to set up my dog's crate so she'd be safe and out of my way.

I was torn between the Toyota RAV4 and the Hyundai Santa Fe. I drove a 4 cylinder RAV4 and wasn't impressed with the get-up-and-go. I drove the Santa Fe in a 6 cylinder and it was okay, but it horrified me when I saw the BLUE lights on the dashboard. Now granted that was in board daylight and it's probably swell in the dark, but my God in Heaven it's UGLY! I won't say what I said about the color when I was describing it to a friend because it's horribly politically incorrect and I could probably be sued just for thinking it these days. But UGLY, just butt UGLY! Heck, hairy old men's butts are prettier than that blue is!

So I went back to thinking the RAV4 was the way to go but I needed to drive a 6 to be sure. Me and a pal went to the dealership and I whipped out the business card of the salesperson I'd already dealt with and, as luck would have it, he was either off or run off that day. I also tried to hand over my driver's license and insurance card. I told The Other what I wanted and that I wanted to drive it alone with just my bud for company and he said okay. He ran off and did Lord knows what and I waited and waited some more. He'd said he was going to start one up and let it cool down the insides, etc. Now I wasn't about to start thinking: WHAT? How efficient is that A/C if he has to go to all that trouble. This is after all TEXAS and it was spiking 80-something which is pert near balmy by Texas standards...but I digress....

He pops back in the door and again I hand him my insurance card and driver's license. He takes both and goes running off AGAIN and we wait some more. Finally here he comes and he's got a clipboard in his hands.....he shoves the clipboard at me and says SIGN THIS. I said THIS WHAT? He says it's a standard paper blah, blah, blah that'll keep the cops from stopping us or some such B.S. I say I didn't have to sign that with the other two new vehicles I've driven alone, one of them from this very dealership and he says something like WELL YOU SHOULD OF. Well, sir, 'bout then my cranky pants got bunched up good and tight and I said NO, I'll just go to another dealership. I turned and hauled butt back to my car with my buddy tagging along behind probably thinking WOMEN!

I will admit that later....MUCH later I got to thinking that the first car guy did throw a paper tag up on the dash and said something about COPS, but it wasn't a big deal....he just said it along with and this is how to adjust the seat and this is how to adjust the mirrors, etc. Sooooo .... maybe the cops are just sitting around waiting for me to take a car off the lot so they can pounce on me and make my life a living hell, but I DON'T THINK SO.....

We ended up going to CarMax and looking at used and there wasn't anything there that grabbed my attention, but I did get my car appraised and the number they came back with is not the point....the point was they'd checked off everything they check off to the good. My car has a few little problems, but they didn't even note them..... so I got to thinking why am I going to get rid of a car about which I know every bolt and nut and how often those have been serviced? I took two Tylenol and killed the new car bug.....at least for the time being......

Anyone that knows me knows I'm just the type to have taken The Other's treatment as vindication to say TO HELL WITH IT, I'll walk before I deal with jerks like him. They need my money a lot more than I need their shit.

Oh, did I mention that my car has 54,600 miles on it and that when I bought it there was 245 miles on the odometer. Not bad for a little old lady from near Pasadena, huh?

I guess the whole point of this little ditty is that there are lines and when someone crosses one of them you gotta do what you gotta do and I come from a long line of folks that would rather cut off our own noses to spite our own faces that put up with crap when the crap line has been crossed. It's the principle of the thing. You have to stand up to honor your own principles. It's a rule.

Monday, April 14, 2008

I got this in email and even though it's not brand, spankin' new, it's still worth firing up my keyboard to reproduce here....

BTW in my opinion the worst the economy gets the more important it is to know how to defend yourself and your property from those that would take your life to get to your property. IF you could hand over your "stuff" without getting killed it would be silly to put up a defense, but we all know that's not likely to happen every single time. And no one loves the cops more than me, but unless you carry one with you every where you go you are pretty much on your own all the time.

A Gun In The House

The purpose of fighting is to win. There is no possible victory in defense. The sword is more important than the shield, and skill is more important than either. The final weapon is the brain. All else is supplemental.

The rules as they apply to most folks:

1. Don't pick a fight with an old man (or woman!!). If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.

2. If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck.

3. I carry a gun because a cop is too heavy. (They aren't easily concealed either!)

4. When seconds count, the cops are just minutes away. (Unless you call HCSO's 713-221-6000 number and get sent to voicemail!)

5. A reporter did a human interest piece on the Texas Rangers. The reporter recognized the Colt Model 1911 the Ranger was carrying and asked him "Why do you carry a .45?" The Ranger responded, "Because they don't make a .46."

7. The old sheriff was attending an awards dinner when a lady commented on his wearing his sidearm. "Sheriff, I see you have your pistol. Are you expecting trouble?" "No Ma'am. If I were expecting trouble, I would have bought my rifle."

8. Beware the man who only has one gun. HE PROBABLY KNOWS HOW TO USE IT!!

But wait, there's more!

I was once asked by a lady visiting if I had a gun in the house. I said I did. She said "Well I certainly hope it isn't loaded!"

To which I said, "Of course it is loaded, can't work without bullets!"

She then asked, "Are you that afraid of some one evil coming into your house?"

My replay was, "No, not at all. I am not afraid of the house catching fire either, but I have fire extinguishers around, and they are all loaded too."

To which I'll add, having a gun in the house that isn't loaded is like having a car in the garage without gas in the tank.

I'm a firm believer of the 2nd Amendment! And I'm a firm believer that every man and WOMAN ought to know how to refuse to become a victim by educating themselves on the proper use of firearms, being aware of their surroundings at all times, and using their God given common sense to save themselves if at all possible. You owe it to your loved ones to save your own hide!

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

I don't know how, but overnight my life flashed before my eyes and when I woke up I was OLD!

Today is my birthday. No foolin'. I'm six five. I wish I waz foolin'!

Sixty five years of age.

Ouch.

Medicare.

Depends.

Social Security.

Old lady jokes.

Cobweb coochie.

Wrinkles getting wrinkled!

Gray hair covered with harsh red highlit chemicals.

Okay, enough of that. That's the bad.... NOW for the good...

I woke up this morning!!!

The first thing I saw was NOT, repeat NOT, a white satin lining!

I got nine birthday cards and NOT one said anything about my age. Most were about how sex would be a distant memory, but, hey, I'm used to that kind of talk. I STILL own the key to the candy store even if the lock is rusty! But enough about that, don't want to gross anyone out.

Another good thing about six five is....

Wait. Don't tell me...I'll think of something...

I don't have to worry about getting pregnant.

NOW I get my senior citizen discount without asking.

I can flip people off and be rude and they chalk it up to senility.

I can get some cats.

I can get cool handles on either side of my toilet.

I can get one of those Help I've Fallen buttons.

Gosh now that I think about it. The possibilities are endless. If 40 is the new 30 and 50 is the new 40 then surely sixty five is the new 55 which as I recall didn't suck overly much.

AND if I look ahead I can see where 75 is probably the new 65 and so on and so on.

When all else fails I remember that....

Getting old is not for sissies. Bette Davis US movie actress (1908 - 1989)

I ended up having to buy more space! Google is just too cool though. They don't want an arm and a leg for 40 gigs like you'd expect them to. I use and prefer my Picasa account even though I like SmugMug a lot. Picasa allows for the entire album to be downloaded with the original size and that's not only a great way to backup, it's a great way for my family and other interested parties to get the pictures they want.

SmugMug lets you change the theme of the albums and do other cool stuff, but you can only download full size photos from them one at a painful time.

If *I* was a webgod I'd have something called PiUg that would combine the best of both! Or CasaMug. Or SmugPic. Or...well.... it'd be great, honest!

I've been cruisin'. My sister-in-law and I went on a 2 week vacation to HAWAII! I know, it's a thankless job but someone has to do it. We took it upon ourselves to try and help the economy in the islands. Lord knows there's a gift/souvenir shop every 6 yards every where we went and we hit 'em all and did a fair to partly cloudy job of helping to get Hawaii out of their financial slump!

We flew to Oahu first and stayed a couple of days with my cousin and her husband. They were the best host/hostess imaginable! As a rule I go out of my way to keep from "bothering" friends or family....I prefer to get a room so as not to impose. It was pointed out to me recently that sometimes people might really want to show you a good time and you should allow them to do so. I told them the day that we left that they might never get rid of me now they were so gracious!

Both my cousins (I have two cousins that make their home on Oahu) made sure we went everywhere on Oahu that we wanted to go. They also keep hydrating me so I wouldn't have a "Vegas" episode and end up in one of their hospitals.

We boarded the NCL's Pride Of Aloha on the 15th and sailed on the 16th until the 27th. More about the boat later. During that 11-day cruise we visited Honolulu, Hilo, Lahaina (Maui), Kona, Kahului (Maui) and Nawiliwili (Kauai). We had two day of cruising where we saw the islands of Molokai and Oahu's Napali coasts. We had an excursion to the island of Lanai. During the cruise days we were all onboard and fought for every available deck chair and crust of bread! More about THAT later too!

We had a wonderful time. We expected to have a wonderful time. We had some speedbumps along the way, but how could anyone be upset for long when you're in Hawaii!? We saw Kilauea's active lava flow at night from the deck of the ship and our own balcony. It was truly the highlight of the trip. All your school life you read about volcanoes and see pictures, but it's not the same as seeing it with your own eyes. Nature and Madame Pele showing off for the tourists... it just doesn't get any more exciting than that!

I'm in the process of 1) getting my laundry done, 2) getting 10 GIGS of pictures sorted, 3) trying to catch up with my e-mail and blog reading and 4) trying to get used to being back in my rut with the five hour difference in sleep and appetite. I managed to lose weight on the trip and that wasn't from not having an oppourtunity to eat non-stop for 24 hours a day....it was from walking and climbing every day and burning up those extra calories.

I'll be back with more on the cruise and provide the link to my photos.

For now, it's good to be home. I love to travel. I love the Hawaiian islands. I love my sister-in-law and my cousins, but I sure did miss my own bed and my kids and my little dog.

Friday, February 29, 2008

I made a trip to my cardiologist Wednesday and he had me go to the lab and give 5 vials of blood and a cup 'o piss for tests. I also got to go home with a Holter Monitoring device.

Today I was in his office from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for a bunch more tests. I had a Carotid Ultrasound, an Abdominal Aortic Ultrasound, an Echocardiogram and a Nuclear Stress Test. They might of slipped another one or two tests in while I wasn't paying attention. I did get to scarf down TWO Dixie cups of Blue Bell vanilla ice cream for testing purposes and a package of peanut butter crackers from Dr. DeBauche's private stash because my blood sugar got low.

Monday I'll see him and hear what he thinks is the State of My Union, so to speak.

I made it nine minutes on the stress treadmill and that's up a minute from last year. I called a halt just short of the "having to run" speed....I'm not into running unless it's to catch the ice cream truck.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I HEART my cardiologist! His name is Dr. Thomas DeBauche, M.D. and his office number is 281-890-8588.

He told me that when his name is Googled MY BLOG article on him comes up. Tickled me to death that he even knew that! He thanked me for my kind words, etc. and I muttered something about being kind of fond of him and how he saved my life.

Now I know good and proper that it wasn't JUST him that saved my life...it was HIM and GOD, but give me credit for knowing they are two separate entities. One being a deity and the One that gave my healer his strength and his incredible talent. I figure God's kind of busy and it's not easy to get in to see him, but Dr. DeBauche has never said he didn't have time to see me.

I like it that I've been going to his office since December 1996 and most of the staff is still the same. It's warm and comforting to been seen naked by people that know your name and that you have a history with. That means a lot to me. I quit a very good doctor one time solely because her staff got changed as much as her lab coats and after awhile it bugged me when they'd say "and have you been here before" every time I darkened the door. I'm on a first name basis with Cheryl, Ruby, Karen, Connie, Kathy & Donna. The newer staff will become familiar in time.

The other greatest part about going to my doctor is that even though he's got an impressive array of credentials and tons of education he made it through with a sense of humor and a delightful wit. He knows how to communicate with his patients and he explains anything that needs explaining. He's not shy about scratching his head and saying he doesn't know if he doesn't know and first and foremost he treats his women patients' conditions every bit as aggressively as he does his males. ALL of his patients love him too...I know because we talk among ourselves in the waiting room!

We are all so glad that he's OUR doctor, located in easy-to-get-to NW Houston and that we don't have to travel to the Medical Center, etc. He's going to build his own building too and that'll be cool for all concerned. He promised me that he won't retire before *I* do. Only in my case it'd be EXPIRE! I like to think he considers me his friend too.

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Those easiest to disarm are the responsible and law abiding citizens whose guns represent no meaningful social problem. Irresponsible and criminal owners, whose gun possession creates or exacerbates so many social ills, are the ones most difficult to disarm.
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